Today is likely to forevermore be the single saddest day in the history of Marvel, as the iconic genius Stan Lee has left us. It’s a loss we’ll all be feeling for years to come, but I think also an ideal time to look ahead to the future of the company that Stan Lee made a legend (and vice versa). And what better series to look at than what’s been announced for the 2019 Marvel Legends Avengers 4 Figures lineup, an assortment running the gamut of comic book characters from Stan’s early days through characters from the latest Marvel Cinematic Universe movies…

Hasbro is in sort of a tough position right now with announcing their Avengers Marvel Legends 2019 figures lineups, as, well… they legally cannot reveal any of the movie figures in those series coming from Avengers 4 (which we still don’t even have a title for, as wild as that is).

But rather than keeping the whole Avengers Legends series under wraps until Disney gives the go-ahead (and who the heck knows when that will be), they’ve gone ahead and given us a solid NINE reveals coming from the first several series of Marvel Legends Avengers 4 figures (sans the ones actually from Avengers 4, of course). Let’s have a look…

I think we have to start with Loki (announced at the 2018 Paris Comic-Con), as he’s the first Avengers villain from way back in the first volume of Avengers #1, and also the villain of the first Avengers movie (and perhaps the most popular MCU villain overall).

Hasbro has never done a non-exclusive 6” comic book Loki that’s not a woman (there’s a proviso I almost forgot to include), so this figure will fill a spot in many fans’ collections. Quite a few people have gripes about the painted-on scales on this Loki—which certainly are not ideal (though they do look rather similar to the classic source material)—but as an overall package I still like this 6” Loki Legends figure.

The actual member of the Avengers who’s the headliner of these comic book-based figures has to be the new Marvel Legends Hercules. (Of course, he’s the only actual Avengers members among the 9, but that’s besides the point.) This figure was announced way back at San Diego Comic Con 2018 in July.

Hasbro actually did a Hercules in their first-ever ML series over a decade ago (the Annihilus Series), but that Herc was unfortunately, well… terrible (in my opinion). This new version is a vast improvement and a necessary upgrade.

Beta Ray Bill makes his Hasbro 6” debut in this wave, sporting a modern costume instead of the classic one we got from Toybiz. I saw the world premiere of this figure right in front of my face at NYCC 2018 last month, and was really pleased with how he looks in person. Beta Ray Bill is generally a pretty popular guy, and this looks like a great new version of him. Love that articulated, hinged jaw!

It’s not happening fast (at all), but we are slowly getting the Squadron Supreme in 6” Marvel Legends form, and Nighthawk is another release toward that end. Some collectors have expressed displeasure with the costume on this character, but if sales are okay on him (which is far from a certainty), I’m sure we could see him in his other recognizable costume down the road. More pressingly, I wonder if we’ll ever get a Doctor Spectrum figure…?

A 90s character thrown into the mix is the sometimes-Baron Zemo alter-ego, Citizen V! Citizen V got a bit of a promotional push in the Marvel Comics advertising over the last few years that ultimately didn’t amount to much story-wise, but I’ve always wanted a toy of this character since Kurt Busiek created him/her two decades ago. Marvel Legends Citizen V could wind up being a sales dud, but I hope not—I’d love to see the Thunderbolts figures continue in future assortments.

While Citizen V is draped in the US flag, Union Jack is adorned with the UK’s. This is the biggest surprise to me of the announcements so far, as I didn’t really know (and still am unsure) there was a demand for another Union Jack six inch figure since the one in the Red Hulk Wave. We’ll have to get this guy in-hand to see if he’s actually an upgrade, but he seems a bit of a boring pick at a glance (though an appropriate announcement at MCM London 2018).

Anything but boring is the last comic-based villain announced so far, though: Living Laser! I enjoyed the heck out of the MU Living Laser 3.75” figure that was one of the last great hurrahs for the Marvel Universe scale of figures, and always hoped we’d see a 6” version as well. This wacky figure might legit sell like crap, but I’ll happily welcome him into my collection.

Rounding out the ennead is a pair of characters from Avengers Infinity War, who also complete the ML Black Order: Corvus Glaive and Ebony Maw. Like Beta Ray Bill, these two villains were revealed at NYCC 2018 in October. Fans have been demanding this duo since before Infinity War hit theaters, and Hasbro was clearly listening.

The Hasbro team played coy about how these two new 100% newly-sculpted figures would be released, but both are larger than standard figures and newly-tooled, so we can be fairly certain that they’re either Build-A-Figures or part of some sort of box set. Either way, I imagine we’ll have to fork out a good amount to complete the Black Order (when I’m okay with, as long as it means it gets completed at all).

Lastly, I want to mention a pair of figures that technically are not a part of an Avengers series (and thus not included in my count of “nine”), but who fit better here than anywhere else as far as discussion goes: the exclusive Hydra Supreme Leader Captain America and Arnim Zola currently up for PO. These figures debuted at New York Comic Con as well and were a complete surprise, as most fans really weren’t sure we’d ever see a “Nazi Cap”/Serpent Supreme Captain America figure released by Hasbro.

The new paint scheme and new head on Arnim Zola make the old Build-A-Figure feel fresh (and crazier than before), and having a Nazi Captain America figure is a real novelty. This set really puts a grin on my face, though, I know it’ll be an acquired taste for some.

The first series of Avengers Marvel Legends 2019 figures should be up for order in early 2019, although we still have no idea what movie figures will be in the wave or even which comic book figures belong to which wave. I’ll post updates as Hasbro reveals more information regarding the define configuration and specifics of the 2-3 Avengers Legends waves coming our way next spring/summer.

With so much up in the air regarding these waves, that leaves the discussion two-pronged: What do you think of the mostly comic-based figures revealed so far for 2019, ML fans? And though we know relatively little officially about Avengers 4, what movie figures are you hoping to see from it?